Corpse-lifter



(No Model) J. M. JAGOBSON.

oonrsn LIFTER.

No. 245,502. PafientedAug. 9,1881,

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ATENT CORPSE- LiFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 2k5,502, dated August 9, 1881.

Application filed June 9,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. JAOOBSON, of Preston, in the county of Jackson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Corpse-Lifters and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide devices for handling corpses readily without touching the same with the hands or disturbing the clothes around the body; and the invention consists of peculiarly-construeted grappling-tongs adapted to be adjusted upon a body, and to be lifted by means of a pole or bar provided with handles, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing a corpse with the lifting devices attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the body-tongs detached. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the head-tongs detached. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the ankle-tongs detached. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of ajoint and parts of the jointed arms of the body-tongs.

A designates the tongs for grappling and lifting the body. These tongs are provided with arms a a, jointed at the top, and having at the lower partjointed grappling-arms a a, provided with pads Z). The upper part of these tongs is provided with a yoke, c, to receive the lifting-bar, and with sectors (1 d, jointed at c to the arms, and provided with bolt-holes for connecting them to the yoke and for adjusting the positions of the arms. Leversf are pivoted atf to the arms a, and thejoints of the arms a are provided with notchesf to receive the lower end of the levers, which levers are provided with springs s, the lower ends of which bear against pins 0, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

B designates the tongs for grappling and lifting the head. These tongs are provided with a hook, I), to receive the lifting-bar, and have the grappling-armsa provided with pads c. The upper part of these tongs is provided with a link, (1, for clamping and holding the arms to the head when adjusted in position for lifting.

O designates the tongs for grappling the ankles. These ankle-tongs consist of a pair of grappling-arms, cd, for each ankle, jointed at the top and connected by a strap or rod, h, shaped at the top to receive the lifting -bar, and are provided with pivoted links d for holding the tongs on the ankles when adjustedfor lifting the same.

D is the lifting bar or pole, provided with handles 0 at the ends, and jointed, as shown at b for taking the bar apart for convenience in packing for transportation.

In adjusting the devices on the corpse the pad-arms a. of the bodytongs are placed in position as shown by dotted line at on in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and by placing these arms against the board upon which the corpse rests and pressing downward upon the tongs the pad-arms will be slipped under the body, in position shown at a a in Fig. 2,and the lower ends of the leversf will spring into the notches f and hold the arms in position forlifting the corpse. Two of these body-tongs maybe used, one at the hips and one at the shoulders, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The headtongs being adjusted on the head, the link d is moved downward, clamping the arms a and pressing the pads 0 against the sides of the head. The ankle-tongs being adjusted on the ankles, the free ends of the pivoted links 01 are moved downward, clamping the arms a on the ankles. All of the tongs being thus adjusted, the liftingbar D is inserted under the strap h, yoke 0, and hook I), as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and two persons, one at each end, will readily lift and place the corpsein a coffin without disturbing the clothes or touching the corpse with their bands, which, in cases of death by infectious diseases, is very desirable. The corpse being adjusted in the coffin, the links (1 d are raised, and the tongs are released and readily removed from the corpse.

It is evident that all of these devices may be constructed so as to be readily folded up.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a corpse-lifting device, the body-tongs A, provided with the jointed arms a, having tongs B,the ankle-tongs C,and the lifting-bar D, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 my own invention I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MONDY JACOBSONv Witnesses:

W. W. SANBORN, T. N. BOUTELLE. 

